In my opinion, the two main things that most people look for in this forum is information on Gis and Gloves. Thankfully, CalebBeatDown's Glove thread has been made sticky so that all who seek information on the subject can find it easily at the top of the forum. I hope that this will happen to this thread as well so that fellow members can seek the reviews needed to purchase the kimono that is right for them.
So, please tell us all the Gis that you have used, which you love and hate and why, and where you purchased it.
To start off, I own three Gis: an Atama Gold Weave, a Storm Single Weave and a Gameness Gold Weave.
The Gameness is great. Very comfortable and seems to wick sweat away better than the other two brands, eliminating the need for a rash guard at times. i would give this gi a rating of three and a half of five stars since personally, it is a little to flashy for my taste. I prefer simple.
Atama makes, in my opinion, the best Gold weave money can buy. I paid only $95 for mine on sale at Atama's website
here. I have seen many reviews complaining of the seam that Atama has on the back of most of their kimonos. I have never had a problem with it personally, but perhaps that is because I wear a rashguard under my gi at almost all times. If you truly have issue with gis having seams on the back, then check out Atamas Gold Weave Mundial model
here. Funny thing about this gi is that it has such a thick collar that it seems to give my opponents fits when they attempt gi chokes and the like. Four out of five stars.
And onto my favorite gi of all-time, the Storm Kimono Single Weave. I can't say enough about this gi. The material is soooo strong, but much softer and more comfortable than any other kimono I have ever owned. There is no stiffness to it at all, but just as durable as my iron-clad Atama. Downer is that it has the smallest collar of them all, making it quite easy to grip. But I have turned this around into a positive as when I want to concentrate on gi chokes and other choke defenses, this is the first kimono I grab walking out the door. I love this gi, but alas. . . . I can no longer locate a site that sells them any longer. If anyone finds out where they are available, please let me know. There is a rumor that since Renzo Gracie used to be sponsored by Storm, they renamed them Renzo Kimonos. But I personally do not want to order one of the Renzos to find out so I would be interested as well to see if anyone has had experience with the Renzo Kimono. Happy posting!
